The Princess Attends Church & Creating Your Own RepliKates

Hello-Hello and happy almost end-of-summer! Who would have thought Labor Day would arrive so quickly? We begin with news that the Prince and Princess of Wales attended church services on Sunday. The couple joined the King and Queen at Crathie Kirk, Balmoral’s local parish church in Scotland. 

Several stories from mainstream media outlets say Prince George also attended the service with his parents. Hello reports other royals in attendance included “the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, James, Earl of Wessex, and Sir Tim Laurence.” More on the ties between the royal family and the church can be found in this post on the church site. 

It was to this church that Queen Victoria came in 1848 on coming to Balmoral Castle. This began the custom, which continues to this day, of members of the Royal Family and their guests worshipping with local people in the parish church. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the present church in 1893 and the new church was completed and dedicated in 1895. Funds for the new building were raised by subscription and gifts from parishioners and members of the public. A gift of £2,000 was made by Queen VIctoria’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Louise who raised the money at a Bazaar held in the grounds of Balmoral Castle.

Photos were very limited. Hello has pictures, as does the Daily Mail. Below, a Sunday social media post by the Mail. 

https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/1827736789420773698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

The Princess appeared to be wearing almost the identical ensemble she wore when attending church at Crathie Kirk last August. Her coat looks like the Holland Cooper Full-Length Marlborough Trench Coat (£849, about $1120 at today’s exchange rates). 

She also brought back the Hicks and Brown Suffolk Fedora ($155) seen last year. 

The Princess’s earrings appear to be the Dina style (no longer available) by Sézane, shown here when worn on a previous occasion.

Now to the second portion of today’s post, a look at ways to create your own repliKates, or have a seamstress/tailor make one for you. The original suggestion for this post came from a comment left by Nancy back in late May, and it has been fun putting it together.

We’ll begin with one of the most well-received gowns the Princess of Wales has worn, the one-shoulder Alexander McQueen design first worn to the 2019 BAFTAs. One way to replicate the look is through Butterick’s B5987 pattern (prices started at $5.20 when I did a search on Etsy). The pattern is also offered by several sellers on eBay (prices vary). In the montage below on the far right, I show the original McQueen gown used for the basis of the Princess’s look.

The Roland Mouret ‘Nansen’ cold-shoulder gown worn for a Kensington Palace gala has long been a favorite for many. The McCall’s M786 pattern ($15.36) offers a great way to create your own version of the style.

The link above is for purchasing the pattern at Joann. It is also available at Amazon ($9.25), as well as at Etsy ($7.95) and from a variety of sellers on eBay (prices vary). 

If very brave and not put off by an intricate design, Vogue 1982 offers the chance to go for the look of the cape-effect Jenny Packham gown worn to the November 2022 state dinner. I say ‘brave’ as someone who has sewn since childhood, and I imagine the cape element may be a complex part of the design. The pattern is available from a number of eBay sellers and also from Etsy sellers.

This Wedding Guest Dress pattern ($3.12 on sale, usually $12.50) from La Verart Design is a digital download that looks like an okay option for the much-loved teal Jenny Packham gown first worn to the 2012 pre-Olympic Team GB gala.

For those interested in doing your own version of the Roland Mouret gown ($1300) worn to the Top Gun premiere, the Emma Dress Pattern ($1400) is an option. 

Creating a basic gown with embellished fabric (sequins, beads, crystals, oh my!) can be a lot of fun. McCall’s 8038 gives you a starting point to work from with a round neckline and clean lines. It is priced as low as $6.50 on Etsy, it is $15.36 at Joann, and $19.95 at Amazon.

The Suzannah London shirtdress worn for an outdoor meeting at Sandringham was a popular look. The Vogue 1783 pattern ($22.40 at Joann, $11.16 at Etsy) provides a pretty good jumping-off point for copying that look, although you will need to take some of the volume of the sleeves as shown in the pattern.

We know how much the Princess enjoys a fit and flare silhouette. McCall’s 7313 offers an opportunity to recreate that look. The pattern is available for as little as $4 on eBay, starting at $6.50 on Etsy, and is also offered at Amazon ($9.77). 

Other fit and flare patterns with potential: New Look 6567 (starting at $6.95 on Etsy, $8.99 at Amazon, $12.95 at Walmart) and Simplicity 9176 ($8.48 at Amazon, as low as $9.99 on eBay, starting at $5.86 on Etsy). 

The Princess also appreciates a classic sheath silhouette, and Butterick 6849 provides that in two basic designs. It is available at $7.95 on Etsy, starts at $2.50 on eBay, is $12.27 at Amazon, and sells for $15.36 at Joann.

McCall’s 8268 is a vintage pattern offering both a sheath style and fit and flare designs; I found it for $7 on Etsy and $11.99 on eBay. McCall’s 7085 also provides a basic style with princess seams. It is as low as $7.99 on Etsy, starts at $7.50 on eBay, and is priced at $9.56 at Amazon.

Two more possibilities come via Etsy. On the left, a Pencil Dress Pattern ($3.50) available via digital download from seller Witeson Patterns. On the right, the Women’s Dress Pattern ($8.12) from SewistCAD. It doesn’t copy a specific dress so much as it has design elements seen in many of the Princess’s coatdresses and regular dresses.

I will wrap up the post with two oldies but goodies, the first being the Butterick pattern replicating the Princess’s wedding gown. It is available from multiple sellers on Etsy; it is also offered at Amazon.

And the second is the Butterick pattern ($12.99 on eBay, $10 on Etsy) for a dress very closely resembling the McQueen gown worn by Pippa Middleton Matthews at her sister’s wedding. The pattern is also available from multiple eBay sellers. 

One caveat if buying patterns via eBay and Etsy: be sure to check the patterns include the sizes you want and that it is complete.  If older or vintage, buying patterns described as “uncut” is ideal.